Francis Bok

Francis Bok "joined the American Anti-Slavery Group, based in Boston, MA, as an associate in 2000. Since then, he has spoken to academic and religious communities across the country. Most notably, he headed a panel on slavery at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Boston Globe, and Essence Magazine, in addition to several radio and television shows.

"In 2000 Mr. Bok became the first escaped slave to testify before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. in hearings that were broadcast live on C-Span; he met with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright later that day. Mr. Bok was invited to return to the White House in 2002 for the signing of the Sudan Peace Act, following which he spoke with President Bush.

"In 2001 he was invited to carry the Winter Olympic Torch on its national relay tour and in 2002 he was honored by the Boston Celtics as a “Hero among Us” for his service to the community. His 2003 autobiography Escape From Slavery (St. Martin’s Press) was received with widespread critical acclaim from Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, The Boston Globe and the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Today he lives in Kansas, where he lives with his wife and child and heads AASG’s first extension office.“


 * Featured Speaker, David Project